1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to optical computers and basic optical logic functions, such as the NAND, AND, and OR, to amplitude-to-phase converters, using wave-type beams, including electromagnetic waves, acoustical waves, and moving particles.
2. Background Art
My U.S. Pat. No. 5,093,802 contains the primary background art for the present invention. It uses interference between modulated and unmodulated input beams of wave-type energy. The functions are defined in terms of constructive and destructive interference component regions at a fringe component separator, such as a mask, which is used to separate energy from at least one component region to provide at least one amplitude-modulated output.
That patent provides several logic elements, including a two-input OR, an EXCLUSIVE OR, an inverter and an amplifier, all having amplitude-modulated outputs. Absent from the prior art are three important logic elements, namely the logical NAND, the logical AND, and a multi-input OR, along with a means and method of producing a useful output from these functions.
The remainder of the prior art, such as U.S. Pat. No. 5,239,173 by Yang, uses "sensors" and other non-interference means in order to accomplish the AND function, whereas the present invention uses interference to accomplish that process. Yang does not provide for a NAND or a multi-input OR.